John Blake, Sr.

John Blake

• Gender: Male
• Birth: circa 1652 - Malden, Surrey, England
• Death: November 11, 1690 (33-42) - Middletown, Hartford County, Connecticut Colony
• Place of Burial: Old Farm Cemetery, Middletown, Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States
• Son of Capt. John Blake and Elizabeth (unknown) Durant
• Husband of Sarah Hall - married Before 1673 Middletown, Hartford County, Connecticut

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Note: error (below) about the parents of Elizabeth (Johnson) Blake, wife of John Blake (d. 1724). They were Nathaniel Johnson and Mary Smith.

From "Our Folks: Second Preliminary Draft. Descendants of John Blake, of Middletown, Connecticut." Blake, George Matthew, Rockford Illinois, W. P. Lamb, printer, 1895:

https://archive.org/stream/ourfolkssecondpr00blak#page/n7/mode/2up

There is no satisfactory evidence within my knowledge as to the age or place of birth of John Blake (1) of Middletown, Connecticut.

The best evidence is as follows: In 1683, a piece of land is recorded in Middletown to John Blake as bought from his father, George Durant. George Durant was a blacksmith, but with his wife Elizabeth, he rented a farm at Malden, Massachusetts, for a year or more before coming to Middletown.

John Blake married his wife, Sarah Hall, at Malden, Massachusetts.

A Philadelphia Blake (a lawyer) who was in England on other business, says he there saw a record showing that at Malden, England, a George Durant married Elizabeth, the widow of "Capt." Blake.

Apparently the first child of this George and Elizabeth Durant was Edward Durant, whose birth record at Middletown is June 2, 1661, "as his mother saith." No other of her children being thus recorded, this may indicate the approximate date of marriage of George Durant and Widow Blake as about 1660, and as John Blake married in 1673, his birth could hardly have occurred later than 1652, and his mother's first marriage, to "Capt." Blake, was probably about 1650.

This Edward Durant, half-brother of John Blake (1) was also a blacksmith and married Ann Hall, the sister probably of John Blake's wife, Edward Durant went to Boston and settled on land belonging to the Boston Blakes, afterwards he had a smity at the corner of Newberry and Winter streets. Benjaman Pemberton deeding, June 13, 1728, this corner to him; and ten years later, or Aug. 18, 1738, Durant conveys it to Samuel Brown of Worcester, tailor.

1. John Blake (1), b. probably at Malden (Surrey), England, about 1652, son of "Capt." Blake and Elizabeth, and step-son of George Durant, who married his widowed mother about 1660, undoubtedly came to America with his parents, who must have sailed in 1660 or 1661. His age on leaving England would therefore be about 9 or 10 years. He died at Middletown, Connecticut, Nov. 11, 1690, His children were not baptized until after his death, which may indicate he was a churchman.

He married at Malden (Middlesex County), Massachusetts, in 1673, Sarah, daughter of Richard (2) Hall. She survived him and married again with Edward Turner, Jr., by whom she had:

• 1. Abigail, b. Oct. 11, 1694
• 2. Stephen, b. Aug. 26, (1691-1699), she died Dec. 16, 1726

Children: Feb. 8, 1683, there was recorded on the town records of Middletown, Connecticut, the children of John and Sarah Blake:

• i. Mercy, b. Nov. 16, 1673, d. Dec. 16, 1724; m. Sept. 22, 1691 with Samuel Roberts - he d. Feb. 21, 1739. They had:
  • 1. Samuel, b. Aug. 14, 1692
  • 2. Mercy, b. June 26, 1694
  • 3. Ebenezer, b. Oct. 29, 1697, m. Dec. 21, 1721, his cousin Mercy Johnson, d. Sept. 28, 1766
  • 4. Daniel, b. Nov. 14, 1701
  • 5. Desire, b. Nov. 20, 1704
  • 6. Sarah, b. June, unknown year.
  • 7. Ezra, b. April, unknown year.
• ii. Sarah, b. Feb. 15, 1675, d. May 6, 1737; m. Dec. 27, 1693 with John Roberts - he d. July 6, 1721. They had:
  • 1. William, b. June 22, 1695, m. Susanna Collins, Dec. 1, 1714, d. May 6, 1767
  • 2. John, b. Sept. 22, 1697, m. Nov. 18, 1718, Martha Lucas, dau. of William and Elizabeth (Rowley) Lucas of Windsor, d. Aug. 20, 1742.
  • 3. Ebenezer, b. May 16, 1700
  • 4. David, b. September 1702
  • 5. Mary, b. Feb. 14, 1704
  • 6. Jonathan, b. September 1707
  • 7. Nathaniel, b. Apr. 4, 1711
  • 8. Daniel, b. Dec. 27, 1714
• iii Mary, b. July 29, 1677, m. February 1699 with Nathaniel Johnson (b. Jan 17, 1678, d. Feb. 18, 1704), son of Isaac and Mary (Harris) Johnson. They had:
  • 1. Mercy, b. Mar. 9, 1699, m. her cousin Ebenezer Roberts
  • 2. Nathaniel, b. June 22, 1702
  • 3. Jonathan, b. Nov. 1, 1705
• iv. Elizabeth, b. Mar. 16, 1679, d. Mar. 24, 1720, m. Jan 25, 1698, with Joseph Johnson, son of Isaac and Mary (Harris) Johnson - he was b. Mar. 9, 1679. They had:
  • 1. Elizabeth, b. Dec. 12, 1699, m. William Harris, son of William and Martha (Collins) Harris
  • 2. Joseph, b. Aug. 26, 1702,
  • 3. Richard, b. Nov. 12, 1704, d. Jan. 27, 1780
  • 4. Zipporah, b. Jan. 4, 1706
  • 5. Anna, b. Jan. 11, 1708, d. Oct. 15, 1712
  • 6. Anna, b. June 8, 1715
  • 7. Martha, b. Apr. 27, 1718
• v. Abigail, b. Jan. 25, 1681, m. with Thomas Bevins (m. 2nd with Martha Stancliff and 3rd with Mary Hubbard). They had:
  • 1. Eunice, b. Jan. 17, 1705
• vi. John, b. May 19, 1683
• vii. Jonathan, b. July 27, 1685
• vii. Stephen, b. July 15, 1687
• ix. Richard, b. Dec. or Jan. 1687 (?). Savage says he died aged 11 months.

Parentage of Sarah (Hall) Blake.

Sarah's generation:

• Sarah Hall b. May 1654, m. John Blake (1).
• Ann (presumably sister), born November 1661, m. Edward Durant, half-brother of John Blake (1).

Parents generation:

• Richard Hall (2), b. in England, 1620, wife was Mary. Made a will Jan. 11, 1690, calling himself 71 years old. He d. Mar 27, 1691. His wife d. Mar. 30, 1691.

Grandparents generation:

• John Hall (1), born in Kent County, England, 1684, came to Kittery, Maine (Massachusetts Bay Colony) about 1633, thence to Roxbury, Massachusetts, where he was styled "Mr." in the church records, admitted as a freeman, May 6, 1635. Savage thinks he moved to Hartford in 1644 and was at Middletown, Connecticut, 1654. He d. at the latter place, May 26, 1673, aged 89 years. His will called that the 40th (year) of his living in New England.

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https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/9039453?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a223...

GEDCOM Source

Record for Mercy Blake http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=272098261211&i...
Record for John "m. Sarah HALL" Sr BLAKE Sr (*8GGF) http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=48549063793&in...
Record for Mercy Blake http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=272098261211&i...
Record for John "m. Sarah HALL" Sr BLAKE Sr (*8GGF) http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=48549063793&in...
Record for Mercy Blake http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=272098261211&i...
Record for John "m. Sarah HALL" Sr BLAKE Sr (*8GGF) http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=48549063793&in...
Record for Mercy Blake http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=272098261211&i...
Record for John "m. Sarah HALL" Sr BLAKE Sr (*8GGF) http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=48549063793&in...
Record for Mercy Blake http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=272098261211&i...
Record for John "m. Sarah HALL" Sr BLAKE Sr (*8GGF) http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=48549063793&in...

References

1. https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:John_Blake_%2835%29 cites
   1. Blake, George Matthew. Our Folks: Descendants of John Blake, of Middletown Conn. (second preliminary draft). (Rockford, Ill.: George Matthew Blake, 1895) 3. < Archive.Org > "John Blake, b. probably at Malden, England, about 1652, son of 'Capt.' Blake and Elizabeth _____, and step-son of George Durant, who married his widowed mother about 1660, undoubtedly came to America with his parents, who must have sailed in 1660 or 1661. His age on leaving England would therefore be about 9 or 10 years. He died at Middletown, Conn., Nov. 11, 1690. His children were not baptized until after his death, which may indicate that he was a churchman."
   2. John Blake, in Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1860-1862) 1:193. "John (Blake), Middletown, m. 1673, Sarah, d. of Richard Hall of the same, had Mercy, b. 16 Nov. of that yr.; Sarah, a. 1675; Mary, 29 July 1677; Eliz. 16 Mar. 1679; Abigail, 25 Jan. 1681; John, 19 Mar. 1683; Jonathan, 27 July 1685; Stephen, 15 July 1691; and Richard, wh. d. at 11 mos."
   3. Middletown Vital Records [NEHGS], in Connecticut, United States. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records 52. "Blake, … John, Sr., d. Nov. 11, 1690 [LR1:20]"
   4. John Blake II, in Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=20944286 No gravestone; see text accompanying this memorial.